Birthday Gift

I fell in love with this tutorial back in January. I loved the finished product and have since made one for Rose (my hubby's mom) and I just finished this one for a friend that's in desperate need of some knitting needle organization! (and it's her birthday this week!)

The fabrics were some great "clearance" finds that I adore. (I may even go back to get enough to make myself a skirt!). I crocheted the wrap around tie from some merino wool - this is the only thing I know how to crochet.. ha!

I embellished the inside with some iron-on applique butterflies, neat wooden buttons and a ribbon to hold stitch markers. I just LOVE how it turned out!
Something a little extra... we decided to get a shot of G's favourite nursing position of late. This position is usually accentuated by humming and "singing". He's such a boy.


And another project I just finished up for TataTushies . I ADORE these little pants. I guess the colours are just my taste. I'm going to knit up a second pair for G's fall/winter stash. ;)

And my adorable son playing on Canada Day. I like this picture. :)

Cinnamon Apple Squash

Now that I'm done work for the summer (well, for the time being anyway..) I already have some extra time to make more-than-basic baby food. So today I pulled a squash and an apple out of the fridge and whipped out my new bullet one shot blender (a lovely mother's day gift from my mother-in-law, great for baby food and perhaps more importantly - margaritas)

So I would normally bake the squash in the oven but it's too darn warm, so into the microwave it went for 9 minutes. Washed, cut in two, seeds removed and placed face down in a dish with 1/4 cup of water...

Once complete, I scoop out the soft guts and place in the blender (if you fill this, it's the perfect amount to fill one ice cube tray!). Also in the picture is a bowl of cut up apples, about 2 tablespoons of water (I don't really measure...) and about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. I cook the apples in the microwave for 2 minutes to soften.
Now a fairly important step... check on the kids to make sure they aren't destroying something or each other...

One is lining up crayons...

The other is making a mess in his sister's closet...
Add apples to the squash and blend away!Taste it to see if it needs a little more cinnamon. Yum!

Freeze in an icecube tray or feed fresh to baby. :)


Supper time update:
The Cinnamon Apple squash was a hit with G.

I was sneaky and put some semi-frozen squash mixture on the toddler's plate. I assumed it was enough like apple sauce that she would be cool with it. I even called it "apple icecream treat". She took a bite with much coaxing and promptly gagged and said, "Oh! That made me very very sick." *eye roll*

Extra Squishy-ness

I think it's odd that our society is so secretive about weight. We women rarely tell others how much we weigh. But why? People can make educated guesses based on the bone showing, or lack thereof. I've started a new journey in life to become fit and a healthy weight... so I'm just going to put it out there. Numbers and all!

My last year of highschool, I don't remember what I weighed exactly but I was a healthy size 8/9. When I was married in 2005, I was 155 pounds and my wedding dress was a size 10. Pregnancy with my daughter brought me to an impressive 198 pounds and I quickly dropped back to 164. I stopped looking at the scale with my son, but I was slightly over the 200 mark when he was born 9 months ago. Until recently I hovered at 174 pounds and I wear a size 13-ish.

A few months ago I started an aquacise class for ab toning once a week (and boy do my abs need it after one c-section and two babies!), and 4 and a half weeks ago I started a run/walk program 3 times a week. So I've gone from a desk potato to working out 4 times a week! Woohoo for me! And I'm proud to say that I'm now 165 pounds. Down 9 pounds. :)

If only I could commit to changing my eating habits, the weight would come off quicker. But I don't feel ready for that change yet... one thing at a time. But I'm already feeling better, my clothes are fitting like crap (too big!), and I have more energy to play with my children.

My first goal is to be wedding size, at 155 lbs. Secondary to that is a 5k fun run that's happening in the first weekend of September. I want to be able to jog the entire distance. So I'll update periodically with my successes (and backward steps) and you can make me feel better by putting "it" out there and replying to this entry with your current weight. (lol)

Something I've learned about feeding babies...

My daughter, long before I actually gave her non-booby food at 6 months, was interested in our plates, tried to steal a meal from our hands, watched us eat with an open mouth. She was very ready for food at 6 months of age and so I did the typical thing, I went to the baby section of the grocery store. I picked out a variety of little glass and plastic jars, there were a wide selection of things that sounded pretty good, and healthy. And indeed, I'm sure processed baby food has come a long way. It doesn't have a lot of preservatives and is tested for safety. But man... why are those "first foods" so watered down and runny? I could feed it to babes with a straw. And have you ever actually tasted them? Bland city. Some of them don't even taste like the actual product. Potato, cheese and broccoli puree? I kid you not, my dog (who gladly eats garbage) literally would not eat it.

And so I started to make my own baby food and I mixed nothing with water and pureed it. I spent a day steaming, cooking and mashing. Some things needed to be blended because of the "stringy" factor (like carrots), but I never needed to water it down. I think this was due to the fact that I waited until she was actually ready to eat. It didn't need to be the consistency of soup because she was able to manipulate soft foods with her tongue, sit on her own and swallow without gagging.

My son, who will be 9 months old in a few days, is really just getting into foods. He was not at all interested in eating at the 6 month mark and I feel that he wasn't ready physically for such a skill. I trusted that my breastmilk will provide him with everything he needs until such a time that he was ready to embark on soft solids. And waiting has been very rewarding! He has gone straight to feeding himself a lot of foods. He picks up pieces of cooked green beans and peas, he will gladly dip his fingers in yogurt and suck it off his hand, he holds rice crackers very well and can pick up cereal... I often don't need to sit there with a little spoon and mechanifcally plug food into his mouth that he spits right back out. It feels like we are enjoying meal time more. He's feeling independent and mom can eat her meal while it's actually hot! All because I didn't fret over 3 squares a day for my 4-6 month old, and just waited for him to start on his own.

I felt like feeding a baby solids would be a chore, but it's actually a lot of fun. :)

Dear Yarn Shops,

I have yet to visit one of you lovely shops filled with delicious skeins of fibre. I have found you though. The Loop Craft Cafe and LK Yarns... consider yourself spotted. You might be an hour's drive from my house, but I'm going to come visit and I will likely buy some of your wares.

I wish I knew you existed when I was learning to knit. I would have enjoyed taking a knitting class, back when my tiny breastfeeder likely would have slept the time away (this no longer happens during convienent times). Alas, I will still gather together a few dollars and come browse around your shops... potentially for hours... and I will leave with something new and exciting to work up with my needles.

Sincerley,
A Lonely Knitter Who Lives Far From a Yarn Shop